Early that morning, the record player sang out Louis Prima’s Buona Sera while her bags waited patiently by the door. Dad sat at the table, occasionally glancing over his laptop, and mom slowly trekked down the stairs in her pajamas to find out what was happening. We were all still waking up, but Rachel and I continued swing dancing in the living room as if we were being serenaded by Mr. Prima himself.
The final note faded away. We both told the family farewell and headed out the door. We drove two and a half hours out to the O’Hare International Airport. Just me, her, and my broken radio.
Who am I? Just your average guy. I work at a factory, go to church, and share a room with a wooden cutout of the Monopoly man. I collect coffee mugs yet hardly drink coffee. I, like you, own green gator dress shoes from Goodwill.
Then you may be wondering, “What makes you so special? Why did you write a blog post, mysterious internet dude? Who are you?”
I’m nobody: I’m just a guy dating the right woman.
My name is Jacob. And my girlfriend, Rachel, is a World Racer.
I assume that anyone reading this is either a World Racer or a fellow World Racer supporter. (If you are neither, then kudos to you for reading these blogs!) I wanted to address everyone, but the post is long enough as is and I’m probably losing readers already.
So World Racers, this one is for you!
I trust at this point in the Race you can begin to see just how much your ministry impacts those with whom you work, as well as how much it impacts yourself.
But right now, I want you to stop. Take a moment. Consider just how much you impact your friends and family at home. Think about everyone, from the most emotionally, prayerfully, and financially supportive loved ones, to the most ignorant, frustrating, and culturally unaware people you know. You help us. More than you know.
You teach some of us how to love selflessly. We see glimpses into a life outside of the comforts of supermarkets, movie theaters, and cushioned church pews. We hear about some cases of poverty and pain and cannot imagine how people live in such conditions. Yet other cases remind us of people down the road. We eventually realize that hurting, joyful people like this live down the street from our own safe, air-conditioned homes. We can actually be the hands and feet of Christ too? Yes, we can. And we don’t need to travel the world to help.
Others of us are taught simpler things. How do other cultures operate? Where are half of these countries you’re going to? What is this ‘squatty potty’? Even your aunt who can’t understand that Africa isn’t a country… Yes, she learns from you too.
Strangers learn too! People you went to school with years ago see your Facebook and Instagram posts. You might not know them anymore, but they sure want to know about the intriguing life of this stranger from history class five years ago.
So firstly, be encouraged knowing that you make a difference on opposite sides of the world, AT THE SAME TIME. That’s pretty cool, if you ask me.
But secondly, Please be understanding and gracious. Know that your loved ones are trying to figure out how to navigate this long-distance relationship, just as you try to figure out how to work through boundaries of language and culture. Some of us at home seem to worry too much, some seem to not worry enough. Some of us want constant communication with you, others do not want to pester you. Be patient with us. We are here for you, even if still we’re figuring out how.
If you’re still wondering how the cliff-hanging, edge-of-your-seat story from the beginning of this blog ends, you’re in luck.
Rachel and I arrived at the airport, waited in line, checked her bag, and embraced. We let go, turned, and walked our separate ways. Both of us probably debated whether or not to look back. I probably did. But I walked away completely at peace. And now God continues to work in both of us.
She continues to serve, learn, and grow, and I continue to learn and grow from her. Communication isn’t perfect, and neither are we. But we keep striving to make the most of what God brings us.
World Racers, thank you for your service. On behalf of your loved ones, I want you to know that we are just as blessed to know you as those you serve.
Hope you enjoyed this guest blog post from someone that I love a lot, Jacob Hafler. I asked Jacob to write a post for me because I know that in a lot of ways he is walking this journey alongside me, just like many others of you who also love a World Racer. So thank you Jacob, for sharing your perspective and choosing to go on this adventure with me, on the good days and the difficult ones.
I’ll be sharing another blog soon about my time in Thailand. I can hardly believe that month 7 of the Race is already coming to a close!
–Rachel
